During his visit to Israel, US President Joe Biden announced that he would appeal to the US Congress for an "unprecedented aid package" to protect the state of Israel from its enemies. He compared the attack by Hamas militants to the Holocaust and added that this time "the world will not turn a blind eye."
At the same time, he promised $100 million to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The money will go to humanitarian aid, but there are conditions — it must not fall into the hands of terrorists. Biden also discussed with the Israeli authorities the way to deliver humanitarian aid from Egypt to the Gaza Strip.
"I asked the Israeli government, with whom I met this morning, to agree to the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, on the understanding that it would be verified and that the aid should go to civilians, not to Hamas," he said. the president of the United States.
The head of the White House also informed that the United States is transferring powerful forces to the region, including two aircraft carrier groups, in order to deter aggression and prevent the expansion of the conflict.
At the same time, Biden called on Israeli citizens "not to succumb to rage" and to remember that "the majority of Palestinians are not Hamas."
“After 9/11, we were angry in the United States. And although we sought justice and achieved it, we also made mistakes," the American leader added.
- On the morning of October 18, US President Joe Biden arrived in Israel. He was met by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Israelʼs Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog and US Chargé dʼAffaires Stephanie Hallett.